First Solar EOR Project

Majority state-owned Petroleum Development Oman (PDO), in partnership with the California-based GlassPoint Solar, has commissioned the Middle East’s first solar-heated enhanced oil recovery (EOR) project in Southern Oman. This comes just 16 months after breaking ground on the pilot project in January last year.

The project aims to use solar energy to produce 50 tons/day of emission-free steam to be fed into the existing thermal EOR operations at PDO’s Amal-West heavy oil field in its massive Block 6 license. The 7mw system is now in regular operation, and recently passed its first performance acceptance test since coming online, GlassPoint said, exceeding contracted steam output by 10%. (CONTINUED - 338 WORDS)